How to Choose LED Marine Lighting

The Challenges Presented in Marine Lighting

Corrosion

Not every lighting solution is capable of withstanding the tough challenges present in a marine, or beach and lake environments. Both freshwater and saltwater corrodes metal over time, but saltwater expedites this process roughly 5 times faster than freshwater. Even if the luminaire is not directly exposed to water, the humidity of ocean air can cause metals to rust 10 times faster than in air with normal humidity levels. Corrosion can lead to malfunctions, frequent replacements, and unsightly luminaires.

Water Ingress

Water ingress is another issue that arises when waves and storms cause large amounts of water to frequently hit the luminaire. The combination of water ingress and rust will significantly increase the risk of premature failure and result to costly replacements. Choosing the right luminaire for a marine application will ensure it has the necessary durability and reliability, which saves you maintenance and replacement costs in the long-run.

What to Consider When Choosing LED Marine Lighting

Placement

It may go without saying, but the placement of your lighting is perhaps the biggest factor. You might be tempted to simply upgrade your existing fixtures with LED lighting to improve illumination, but that may not necessarily be a wise idea. Although LED marine lighting offers huge cost- and energy-saving benefits, and they can be brighter than traditional lighting, poor placement is still poor placement.

It’s a smart idea to make some changes if you’re in the design phase of a marine project or able to move the placement to improve lighting. If the fixtures can’t be shifted, look long and hard at different LED lighting options that allow you to change the color and intensity of light. Remember, too, that overly bright light could be just as dangerous as dim lighting.

Orientation

Orientation is really a byproduct of placement. Think about how the beam of light will be directed to illuminate areas that need the most light. Because LED lighting can be directional, it can provide light to spots where traditional lighting wasn’t sufficient. Improper orientation is also a problem. You should treat your marine lighting plan the same way you would treat an office or warehouse plan — think about the people using the space every day to understand optimal orientation.

These are the questions you need to ask and answer. If none of these are options then the color or temperature of the fixture should be addressed:

Will the projected light meet the natural line of sight of the operator(s)?

If it does, can the fixture be repositioned?

If not, can another fixture not in the line of sight be used to make up the illumination for the fixture(s) that do?

Color

LED marine lighting comes in a wide variety of colors and color correlated temperature (CCT) measured in Kelvin units. A higher Kelvin count means the lighting is more bluish-white, and lower Kelvin lighting is warmer. Too high, and the lighting could be too bright and increase glare. Too low, and the lights could become bothersome to operators who are exposed to the light for longer periods of time.

While these guidelines apply to non-colored LED lighting, marine lighting often uses other colors as well. If you’re using lighting for marine safety, don’t think that colors are interchangeable or that non-colored bulbs can be a replacement for red or green lights, especially when they’re being used to keep marine operators safe.

In need of LED Marine Light?

Huaxia Lighting Co., Ltd specializes in developing, manufacturing and selling LED SWIMMING POOL LIGHTS SERIES products with international standard since 2007.we are committed to delivering a high-quality product along with prompt, friendly, and professional customer service. We take great pride in our ability to provide our customers with products they need to help ensure they’re including these factors in their lighting plan. If you have any inquiry, please do not hesitate to contact us!